Heartfelt Twat
by HorrorWh0re
Summary: Witnessing Shaun's distress for his dying mother, David realises the errors of his ways and takes a more compassionate approach at the situation at hand. A 'what if' one-shot.


This is a quick one-shot I came up with a couple of days ago while watching the film. I wanted David to have some sort of redemption and not make him as much of a twat as the film portrayed.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead and this story has no official ties with the film; this is a work of fan fiction. I do not receive any payment or any other type of gain from this fan fiction. All rights belong to WT², United International Pictures, Mars Distribution, and Rogue Pictures.**

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"Just take over a minute."

She thrusted the gun in his hands, the weapon heavy in his grasp. David quickly adjusted his grip, his trembling fingers sliding over the cold steel of the barrel, the other hand supporting the sleek wooden handle. Realising he was holding a real firearm that fired ammunition and could potentially kill someone caused the man to swallow thickly, "Jesus."

"I know first aid," Dianne said, running over to join the rest of the group crowded worryingly around Barbara, who had suddenly taken ill.

"Just hang on, mum," he heard Shaun cry as he laid her on the table, "mum!"

Ignoring the determined horde of undead trying to claw their way through the windows, their hungered moans wailing throughout the pub, David crept closer.

"Is she..." Dianne asked, voice trailing when she saw the bite on Barbara's wrist. David noticed too, panicking as the situation just went from terrible to horrendous; there were hundreds of zombies outside making their way inside and soon another one would join them.

"Just hold on, mum, you're gonna' be fine," Shaun said, brushing his fingers through his mother's hair.

"Shaun, I never thanked you," Barbara gently said, pain flashing across her face.

"For what?"

"For these – 'To a wonderful mum,'" she held up a bouquet of crumpled flowers, "it's been a funny sort of day, hasn't it?"

Despite her life rapidly diminishing, her breathless voice still held a tone of cheerfulness, a faint smile gracing her lips as she gazed up lovingly at her son. David couldn't bear looking at the dying woman, quickly glancing away for a second, only returning his attention when she started convulsing, frail body jerking harshly against the wood.

"Oh, no, no! Mum, come on!" Shaun panicked, gently holding her down as he sobbed, "stop it, stop it, stop it!"

David watched her eyes roll into the back of her head, taking one last breath before her chest deflated, the seizures slowly coming to a stop. This was it, he thought, any moment she was going to turn and attack them all. Looking down at the rifle in his hands, he readied himself to cock it, preparing to shoot as soon as she rose up again. Fuck it, he was not going to die, even if she is - was - Shaun's mum.

"Mum, please don't go."

Despite being just a whisper, David heard those words clearly; he heard the desperation, the sadness, the grief. Taking his eyes off the body, he looked at Shaun – Shaun, the man who had gotten them all into the mess in the first place. Shaun, the man who taunted him and took the piss out of him every time he was in his presence. Shaun, the ginger loser who drank his life away in a shitty pub with his fat, fuck-up of a mate every night. The man who stole Lizzie away from him. However, it wasn't that Shaun he was looking at. Instead, the former shell of the man he knew had vanished, replaced by a broken, hollow man, squeezing his deceased beloved mum as his body shook with grieving sobs.

A small, faint cry caught his attention, his eyes glancing over to Lizzie, whose hand covered her mouth while she stared at Barbara's dead body in horror, a single tear drop rolling down her cheek. Ed placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, biting his lip as he tried holding back his tears, face stony with grief. Even Dianne had wet eyes.

Looking once more at the lethal weapon in his hands, finger on the trigger, David felt sick; he's supposedly a pacifist for fucks sake yet here he was prepared to shoot someone's mum. Lowering the gun, he sighed, taking a cautious step towards the crying man in front of him, "Shaun."

Face still buried against his mum, Shaun jerked his head slightly though not looking directly at the man before him, "What?"

He took a deep breath, becoming insanely aware of a chair clattering to the floor behind him, the groans becoming louder, "Shaun, I really don't know how to say this, but I think you need to prepare for when she..."

Crying coming to a halt, Shaun looked directly at him, slowly pushing himself from the table to stand in front of him, repeating, "what?"

With everyone's eyes on him now, David bowed his head anxiously, "listen, she was bitten and if we don't do anything now, she'll turn into a zombie."

"Don't say that!" He suddenly shouted, scaring David.

Ed also pushed forward, face threateningly close to his, teeth gritted. "We're not using the 'Z-word'."

David took a step back. "I'm not trying to make things worse-"

"Really? Because it seems like it."

"Shaun," Lizzie murmured.

"but we've seen it happen before, she's gonna' come back," David continued.

"She's not going anywhere," Shaun cried, "she's my mum!"

"She's not... not anymore," David quietly said, carefully choosing his words. He looked at Lizzie, pleading with the only person that could probably persuade Shaun to see sense, "can you please tell him-"

"That's what this is about, isn't it?" Shaun questioned despairingly, looking between Lizzie and David, hands shaking, "he doesn't like me! He's always hated me and now he wants to shoot my mum."

"No!" he said, holding the gun away from his body, "I don't want to shoot anyone, but if someone doesn't do something soon,"

"You've never thought I was good enough," Shaun sneered, "we all know you're in love with Liz."

The words seem to echo around David's head, his stomach twisting painfully and sinking through his body. With startled eyes, he looked past Shaun's fuming face to Lizzie, her face soft with disappointment; her dusky blue eyes met his wide ones for a second before turning to the floor. His throat became dry as he muttered, "that's not true."

"Yes, it is," Dianne said harshly, jaw tight, "I know you only hung out with me at college to get close to Liz and when she knocked you back, I was there to pick up the pieces." David stared at the woman who he considered his best friend for over ten years, the anger clear on her face as she poured her heart, revealing hidden truths that he had been blind to see. "I've come to terms with that, Daffs, why can't you?"

Tensions rose as everyone glared at him accusingly. He never felt more pathetic in his life than at that exact moment. "My feelings have nothing to do with this-"

"They have everything to do with it!" Shaun yelled in his face, "you've always hated me, jealous of me because I'm with Liz and you're not. And now you're trying to get back at me by killing my mum!"

"She's not your mum and any minute she's gonna' turn!"

Before they could argue anymore, Liz stood in between them, raising her arms as she shouted, "please can we just calm the fuck down!"

Everyone fell silent, their harsh breathing mixing with the ghoulish groans from the persistent undead forcing their way in the pub. David looked at them, their bloodied hands banging against the windows, milky white eyes hungry as they bared their teeth; lifeless monsters wanting nothing more than to feast on human flesh - their flesh.

"Listen, Shaun, I don't want this, as much as you think I hate you, I don't want this happen," he whispered, pointing to the walking corpses outside, "but look at them. Look at what they are, what they want." With teary eyes, Shaun followed David's finger, watching the zombies that tried to push past their makeshift barricade. "Do you want your mum to end up like them, her body to walk this Earth as just a flesh-eating thing with no feelings or emotions? No memories?" David asked.

When Shaun gave another sob, Lizzie caressed his face, "Shaun, look at me," she whispered, "I can't begin to imagine how hard this must be for you, but we can't afford to fall apart. Babe, I know you don't wanna' hear this, but David's right."

"I don't want to be," he quickly said, pushing his glasses up.

Digesting their words, Shaun thought for a moment, eyes glossing over distantly. David became nervous at the increasing danger they were in, watching Barbara's skin pale by the second, his hands quivering around the gun. Finally, Shaun snapped back into reality, turning to David with his hands outstretched, gesturing for the rifle. Noting the hard, emotionless expression, he handed him the gun, just realising how sweaty his palms were.

Looking over his mum, tears ran down Shaun's face once more as he silently said his last words to her. With a sniffle, he cocked the rifle, slowly raising it up until it aimed at her head. David couldn't watch anymore, walking away from the scene as Liz and Dianne also turned away, Ed placing a supportive hand on his best friend's shoulder. The gun blast echoed throughout the pub, David jumping at the sound. Hearing the gun clamber to the floor and Shaun's fresh sobs, he walked to the window in the corner, carefully pulling down one of the curtains, intending to use it to cover the body. Lizzie was in front of him when he turned around, taking the long fabric from his hands, a slight smile appearing through her tears as she whispered, "thank you."

Feeling the silky touch of her fingers against his, appreciating how beautiful she genuinely was, he merely nodded, watching her walk back to the man she loved. They spread the sheet over Barbara, placing her flowers on top of her. David watched as Lizzie wrapped her arms around the sullen man, sweeping her fingers through his hair as he gripped her shirt tightly, his head on top of hers.

Feeling his chest tighten at the scene, David held back his tears as he cleared his throat, "Shaun..." everyone looked at him, hesitating while he took a deep breath, "I'm so sorry, I didn't want you to have to do that - no one should have to go through that. And even though you think I don't like you, I don't; I actually envy you."

Taken aback by his sincere words, Shaun wiped his tears, returning an appreciative nod.

"And Lizzie," he continued, shifting his focus to her, "I'm sorry I wasn't a more supportive friend. Instead, I let my feelings get in the way. I was a... twat, basically."

"It's okay," she replied, smiling sadly.

Finally, David looked at his closest friend, the woman who had been by his side since he was seventeen. "I'm sorry, Dianne,"

She smiled hopefully, "Daz..."

A crash came from the window behind him, interrupting his apology as shards of glass fell to his feet. Cold hands ripped through the blinds, latching on to David, fingers digging into him as they dragged him backwards.

"David! No!"

As the zombies smashed through the window, David screamed as they pulled him out, struggling against the multiple arms that grasped him. Liz and Dianne grabbed his legs, Shaun holding his arms, the three of them desperately trying to pull him away while Ed reloaded the rifle.

"I'm not letting you go!" Shaun shouted, looking him dead in the eyes, squeezing his arms tightly, "just hold on!"

"Please!" he cried.

A bloodied hand wrapped around David's head, clawing his face, his glasses falling to the floor. Another grabbed his neck, jerking him harshly, Shaun losing his grip as the zombies successfully pulled his upper body into the crowd. "No! No! No!" he shouted when they tore his shirt from his body, rotten fingernails digging into the flesh of his stomach. The other three, who still held his legs, continued to fight for him. However, David's screams morphed to gurgles when something bit his throat, blood spluttering from his mouth as the horde began to devour his flesh, pulling his innards out. The immense pain turned numb as he started to black out, taking his last breath.

"David!"

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Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!


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